Obsessive-Compulsive Disorders In The Black Swan

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder is defined as a disorder in which a person has recurrent and unwanted thoughts, a need to perform repetitive and rigid actions, or both. According to DSM-5, a diagnosis of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder is called for when obsessions or compulsions feel excessive or unreasonable, cause great distress, take up much time, and interfere with daily functions (Comer, 2015). The obsessions cause intense anxiety, while the compulsions prevent or reduce anxiety. Nina's life revolves around ballet. All she seems to do is dance at the illustrious dance company, return home, and attempt to further reconceptualize and perfect her technique. In addition to being a perfectionist, she is very meticulous about where her hands should be positioned after each turn, preparing her slippers, and
This symptom suggests that she is suffering from a hallucination which may stem from her obsessive thoughts. Nina compulsively harms herself in order to become the Black Swan she is trying so desperately to perfect. She tears at her cuticles and the skin around her nails. When the skin around her nail beds become bloody, Nina pulls the skin along the length of the finger from the nail area. “Those engaging in self-harm often describe a sense of tension that precedes the act followed by a feeling of calm immediately afterwards” (Crowe & Bunclarck, 2000). Nina also scratches her back until she gets the swan shaped ruptures of the black swan. “From an experiential perspective, the emotional dynamics of self-injury appear very similar to the anxiety reduction following execution of a compulsive ritual. While more research is warranted on the association of self-harm with other OCD symptoms, several studies have found self-mutilation, eating disordered behaviors, and OCD to be common comorbid conditions” (Yaryura-Robias, Neziroglu, & Kaplan,